Minnesota Vikings first preseason game: 5 things to watch for
The Minnesota Vikings introduced top 2023 draft choice Jordan Addison on Friday at TCO Performance Center.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - After 12 practices at training camp, the Minnesota Vikings open the 2023 preseason at the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night, a game you can watch on FOX 9.
Kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. local time, with Vikings Gameday Live on FOX 9 scheduled for 8 p.m. If you’re staying up late to watch the first preseason game, here are five things to watch for:
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How to watch Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks preseason game on FOX 9
The Minnesota Vikings are opening preseason play at the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Aug. 10 — a game you can watch on FOX 9 and streaming on FOX9.com.
WILL ANY STARTERS PLAY?
The short answer is probably not. You won’t see Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson or any projected regular starters take the field. There’s a chance some starting offensive and defensive linemen play due to sheer numbers. We could see young defensive backs like Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr. and Lewis Cine, who missed time last year with injuries.
JORDAN ADDISON’S VIKINGS DEBUT
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind start for Jordan Addison, the Vikings’ No. 23 overall selection in the NFL Draft. The wide receiver was cited for reckless driving just days before reporting to training camp after being clocked at 140 miles per hour on I-94 in St. Paul. Since, Addison has done nothing but produce at training camp. That includes catching a long touchdown from Kirk Cousins while getting two feet in at the corner of the end zone during a team drill.
The hope is Addison can eventually compete with K.J. Osborn for the Vikings No. 2 receiver job. He will play Thursday night, but to what extent, we don’t know.
WHAT WILL WE SEE FROM THE QUARTERBACKS?
It’s fair to assume Nick Mullens will get the start as he’s taken a majority of the second-team offense reps in training camp. Mullens isn’t flashy, but the Vikings like him as a back-up quarterback. He’s a viable option to play if Cousins gets hurt or can’t play, and won’t single-handedly lose a game.
Rookie Jaren Hall out of BYU will likely play. He gives athleticism at quarterback that the Vikings haven’t had, but still needs time to go through reads and needs live snaps against another defense. It will be interesting to see how he plays in his first game in a Vikings’ jersey.
THE COMPETITION AT RUNNING BACK
Alexander Mattison is the clear-cut starter, but the rotation among back-up running backs is worth keeping an eye on. Kene Nwangwu hasn’t practiced due to an undisclosed injury, leaving reps to Ty Chandler, rookie DeWayne McBride and Abram Smith. Look for Chandler and McBride to get a bulk of the carries.
VIKINGS DEBUTS FOR DEFENSIVE BACKS
We’re all wondering what the Brian Flores defense will look like, and that’s impossible to know until Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With starters sitting, it’s likely we’ll see Mekhi Blackmon, Jay Ward, Jaylin Williams and Najee Thompson get snaps. Blackmon has made a few splashes in camp, so it will be interesting to see how the rookie defenders react to their first live snaps on the road.
One more reminder: You can watch Thursday night’s game on FOX 9.